one more chance
by ovoriel
Summary: AU with sam and frodo caught, hope seems to have died. but middle earth is about to learn they still have one more chance in defeating the dark lord. pleeeeeease read
1. the end of hope

Disclaimer: All charactors, places, names etc. belong to Tolkien and his heirs alone. I own nothing.

A.N.: This is my first fic and English is not my native language, so please be kind... (giving everybody puppy- eyes)

One More Chance

.1.

Sam sat next to the unmoving form of his friend and master. Seeing Frodo like this, seeing even the "fool's hope" taken away from their quest as the hobbit next to him stayed unmoving, made him curse Shilob, and most of all – Gollum. After all, had he not been the one to cross them, as Sam knew the creature would? So overwhelmed was he, by his anger and his grief, that he did not hear the footsteps coming his way. The heavy footsteps of a unit of orcs...

* * *

The remaining soldiers of the west stood in front of the black gate of Mordor.

The leaders and representatives of the free people of Middle- Earth, stared wide eyed at the items before them, their faces blanched. For there, to their feet, laid the end of all their hopes in the forms of a mithril shirt, two small swords – one of which was shining a bright blue – and worse than all: a chain. A chain that bore a suspicious resemblance to Frodo's. The one the ring was attached to.

Only, the ring was not there...

"If you worry for your friends," said the mouth of Sauron "don't be. They are perfectly fine and enjoying our hospitality." And with that, he turned and entered Mordor – just as a huge army of various foul creatures came out to surround them.

"It's a trap!" said (well, yelled) Aragorn, telling the rest of the fellowship, the king of Rohan and the prince of Dol- Amroth to retreat towards the rest of the army on the hill.

"Does it really matter what we do now?" Gimli's question surprised them all. True, the dwarf wasn't the most optimistic person they knew, but he was not normally so pessimistic either. "Face it my friends, we lost. And now, all we have left to do is to die, and not be here to serve the dark lord!"

"Nonsense!" scolded Gandalf "I fear your head has started filling up with stone instead of wits, if you truly think so! Where is your courage and stubbornness, dwarf?"

No one noticed his glance towards Legolas as he continued: "There is always hope – and death is not a part of it."


	2. a challenge

Disclaimer: I own nothing. They are all Tolkien's and I have no possetions... :(

A.N.: I forgot to say it last chapter: updates would be (hopefully) once a week.

.2.

They were fighting like none of them could ever remember fighting before. Many of the enemy's foul soldiers already lay dead to their feet, next to the unfortunate men whose life has ended – but they still came in overwhelming waves. There appeared to be no end to the enemy's servants.

And then, the worst of all came stepping out of the dark land.

A gigantic black figure, dressed in heavy armor and helm, holding a broad steel sword in his right hand. On his left, a golden ring with writings that seemed to be made of fire. Sauron had his ring.

"Are you sure about that hope?" Eomer asked Gandalf, fearful of both the answer and situation. After hearing just how important this thing is, after all the stories of the second age and Aragorn and Gandalf's tales of how evil it really was, he seriously considered running away from battle for the first time in his life, screaming "every man to his fate".

But the answer he received was no more than a simple "always". This time though, everyone saw he was looking at the elf as he said "You know what must be done. It is time for that pendant to show its worth under the sun!" Legolas turned his face to look at the dark lord, who was laughing while striking his sword down on anyone who dared to get to close. Returning his eyes to the wizard, he spoke: "Mithrandir... against the one..."

"You have to try! It is a remnant of the ages of the stars, when your kin were in their prime. You **must** at least try!"

Legolas looked as if he was about to answer, but it was Aragorn's voice that spoke: "May I inquire as to what exactly you are talking about? We are in the midst of war!" And, as if in order to prove the point, he turned to deflect a strike to his back.

"We are discussing weapons." replied Gandalf, somewhat frustrated by the situation.

"Even I do not know for sure what it can and cannot do", said Legolas, "but I will try. There is no other chance for us."

"Good!" But then, the white wizard seemed to remember something, and he asked "You do know how to work it, right?" Legolas gave him a soft smile and said "The knowledge should be in my mind. I need only focus." With a nod, the Istar turned back to battle. Legolas closed his eyes and bowed his head.

Sauron's thundering voice broke above the sounds of battle. "Is there anyone still mindless enough to rise against me?" As he cried this, the soldiers only moved farther away from his advancing form. He laughed at this – the cowardice of these people – and continued speaking: "Well? Is there none to stand against me?" his voice was smug, certain he knew the answer.

"I will." The surprisingly calm (yet strong) voice belonged to the elf prince, whose head was still turned downwards. "I will stand against you – and may Eru and the valar show their will!"

Gimly looked at him as if he was crazy (more than usual, that is) and bellowed "**What!** Are you feeling well elf, 'cause ye sure ain't sounding like it! 'Tis suicide!"

"No it isn't, Gimly. I know what I am doing." And without waiting for an answer, he walked forward, enemies and allies both letting him pass.


	3. finally under the sun

**To all of my reviewers,valorbewithyou, BelegiumWaffleMaker, and grapeofdeath.Thank you, and I hope you enjoy the rest of it as well!**

**Questions and staff:**

**valorbewithyou** **: Actually, it is't. I know it can look like movie- verse because of the war infront of the gate, but it was in the books as well. Aragorn wanted to enoy Sauron, so he decided to get coccy. He told him to come out and face trail, and that is when "Sauron's mouth" came out, showed them what Sam left behind when he thaught Frodo was dead, and they were attacked.**

**BelgiumWaffleMaker55: I completly agree with you. As things are they would never dream of backing off. But, they never faced a god before. It was common in the past (and sometimes now as well), for worriors to chuse death over captivity, and that is what Gimly ment. They know, if Sauron won they would be forced to bow to him, slaves. Any soldier would rather die, even more so when this enemy is pure evil, the very represetative of all you hate and despise. A prode soldier (or any person, realy) would never worship something he is so uterlly against, and would prefere death over being forced to do so.**

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Legolas' jewlry... Anything else is Tolkein's.

A.N.: I know I might have gotten a littel caried away with the reactions, but I'm the author, so I get to do that... ;)

Still, feel free to tell me if it is **_too _**horrible to bare, though I don't know how much I can change it (I **did** try...).

* * *

.3.

He kept moving until he came to a strait, clear line in front of the menacing dark figure, still keeping distance from him. Sauron laughed. Oh, how he would like to crash an elf, he mused. After all, it had been so long since the opportunity to do so presented itself to him. And so willingly.

Then, Legolas raised his head, revealing closed eyes. However, that was not what made every eye in the battlefield (silent since the moment he dared to declare his challenge) to turn to him. Nor did even the challenge itself. For from under his shirt, a stone attached to a chain on his neck raised up, seemingly doing so by itself. Ice- blue, nearly colorless gem, and wrapped around it – thing stripes of mithril, creating a beautiful flower pattern frame. Inside, a white light was twirling.

And when Legolas had finally and quite abruptly opened his eyes, even the dark- lord Sauron stopped his gleeful laughter short.

For all around the elf, flashed a bright, pure light, white as the stars, and enveloping his body. It seemed to be absorbed into the elf, finding its final release from his body and through his eyes in the form of two beams.

When the blinding glow disappeared, the necklace laid innocently on his chest, its light gone. His eyes were no longer eyes: but two gems, identical in clarity and color to the one he wore, face utterly, unnervingly emotionless.

"Interesting..." was the way Sauron put it. "Quite interesting... Perhaps this will pose some kind of a challenge after all... But I don't have the time or will for games." With this thought, fire unleashed from his left palm.

The men of the west, watched in awe as well as an undeniable amount of fright as it set its curse directly to the elven archer. That fright soon turned to near panic when it became more and more apparent he had no intention of moving.

Instead, Legolas slowly raised his hand in front of him, reaching to the fire with his fingers, allowing them to meet with flame. All eyes tried to leave their sockets as they met. Fire turning to orange- red butterflies upon contact. When the fire was gone, Legolas let his hand down.

Unlike the prince's trance- like (or was it trance- educed) serenity, Sauron was fuming with anger, darkness gathering all around him. But before he had the chance to unleash it, he was forced into the defensive.

Now, it truly was a battle between light – and shadow.


	4. a small step for an elf, a big step to m

**thanks to all the reviwers. keep reading the story - i hope you will enjoy it!**

**disclaimer: i still don't own anything... i tried to get Legolas, but he said he belongs to Tolkein and it feels good there... so, until i can convince him my room is _so_ much better ;) , i'm afraid he doesn't belong to me.**

.4.

Sauron tried hard to keep the shadows around him as shield against the bright light sent his way from his opponent's eyes. But even so, with the ring still on his finger, power was on his side. He was able to crumble the light in relative ease, and Legolas was soon forced to add more and more power to his assault, sending all his strength out as light radiated from his whole body at the dark figure, as well as his eyes.

They stayed this way for long, gaining and losing as if in a dance – one step forward, one step back. A dark night challenged by a single star, the fallen maia's stare held more fire than Orodruin. The elf though, was eerily calm and serene, despite of having both hands sent in front of him, trying to stave off the dark. The difficulty and the amount of strength required of him to just keep things as they were were apparent, yet he still held strong, refusing to give up. Slowly, he moved his right hand away from the left, living it fixed on Sauron. A roar of anger and hate rising from the dark lord as Legolas closed his right to a fist, silver light forming around his opponent's hand and ring. It was useless to fight so long as its lord had it.

Now, the stress was apparent on the elven prince's face, but so was the stubbornness possessed by all in the line of Oropher. With one grate surge of power and determination, he pulled his fist, removing the ring from its master's hand. His left still keeping the lord of Mordor occupied, he opened his right once more, pushing it forward in the direction of the land behind the gate.

The Nazgul screeched and flew their steeds with all speed to try and save the ring that bound them, but they were too slow. The ring flew above the black land but its wraiths did not – for then came the eagles and attacked, and near with exhaustion, Legolas succeeded in sending the ring above the open mouth of mount doom.

There, it dropped.


	5. sauron's defeat

**Disclaimer: They all belong to Tolkein sniff. Not me sniff-sniff. I have no one... :(**

**A.N.: I decided not to keel Sauron when the ring is destroyd. It always seemed to me as too easy (relatively speaking, of coarse, and _way _too convient. Thanks and hugs to all of my reviewrs, and I hope you will enjoy this one too!**

.5.

The eagles moved out of the way, as the wraiths caught fire. Sauron's roar of hate, pain and anger was such that his voice carried above the crumbling stone and steel of the tower. Its malice so grate, that even as he lost his physical shape his attack grew in power out of hate and fury alone.

Legolas stumbled back, concentrating all his power and will on the shadow in front of him. The men of the west, as if awakening from a trance when they saw the hordes of Mordor fleeing in confusion, started to pursue them.

Gimli was just finishing off another orc, when he caught a glimpse of his friend. Panic wiped the triumph out of his heart as he noticed the elf was barely standing, his body shining brighter than the sun. he was trembling, sweat wetting his brow.

"Legolas!" Gimli did not know what he could do but shout, standing too far from his ready-to-collapse friend. His cry, as useless as he thought it to be, caught the wizard's attention. Eyes growing wide, he ran to the weakening prince, not completely sure what for, but fully intending to achieve this goal. It will reveal itself to him eventually.

But he wasn't the only one to hear the dwarf's shout.

Legolas heard it, a distant sound from a sea of quiet and numbness. Somewhere in the time of his battle against the shadow and flame of the dark lord, he forgot others were around. Now he remembered the dwarf. He will not fail in front of him. Not out of pried alone he decided this, though the Thranduilion did not lack in it either. He simply knew that if he did, and survived, he will never hear the end of it... Helm's Deep was bad enough!

And so, with this thought, he gave all he had left in a final burst of power. For a second, all that happened was the forming of what appeared to be thin veins of light across the shadow the dark maia now was. Then, as if it was a knife, Sauron was torn to pieces, giving one final scream.

Wind came from the west, banishing the small black clouds far to east – and far from each other.

Gandalf reached Legolas just in time to catch him. Legolas slowly opened his eyes when he felt a hand holding him, and lowering him gently to the ground.

"Well my boy," the wizard started, trying to encourage the half- conscience body in his arms "he's gone and done- for. I always said the Oropherions were stubborn enough to wake the dead with a command, and this quality only appears to grow with every generation. How you manage dealing with each other is a puzzle to me."

Legolas tried moving his mouth, but was too weak to speak. Swallowing the lamp in his throat, he tried again: "The hobbits..." was all he managed to say, his voice no more than a whisper, but Gandalf understood. Admiring the young archer's heart – and not for the first time – he said only "are sent for", completing the other's sentence.

Legolas remand conscience only long enough to see Gwaihir flying to Barad- Dur before the tower will collapse completely, Aragorn on his back. Then, he closed his eyes, too tired to keep them open.


	6. waking

**Disclaimer: They don't belong to me, they _ALL_ belong to Tolkien. Do you HAVE to rub it in?"**

.6.

He opened his eyes. He did not know where he was, or how he got there. All he knew was that he was worm and comfortable. Then he noticed the sun. The sun... how long since he last saw it? 'Too long' he thought.

"Good morning!" the kind voice caused Frodo to move his head, and he was surprised to see Gandalf sitting there, his robes completely white.

"Am I dead?" he asked, remembering that when he had last seen the wizard... then again, maybe he better not remember...

"What! Oh... no, no young hobbit – you are most surely alive. You were not conscious for only two days, nothing permanent."

"What happened?" Frodo asked, noticing a missing presence "where is Sam?" "In the next room. He woke up merely three hours ago. He sleeps again, though. But, tell me: how do you feel?" "Starved." His reply made the wizard laugh "Is that so? Well, then you must be well indeed!" And so, they went to check on Sam.

* * *

"So what happened Gandalf?" Frodo asked him again "how came we to be here?" "We went to Sam's room and came back." "Gandalf!" "What?" the wizard was genuinely surprised – if you ignored the amused glint in his eyes.

"I did not mean how we got back to my room, I meant how came Sam and I to be in Gondor!"

"Well then you should have said so!" Gandalf said with mock agitation. A few moments later, in a softer voice, he added "what do you remember?"

"I remember the spider. I remember waking in the orc den and **_him_**..."here, Frodo shuddered and trailed off. Gandalf waited patently, until Frodo spoke again. "I remember drifting in and out of consciousness. I think a saw – a dream maybe – a grate eagle. And I think I saw Strider... and I felt strong arms lift me... and I woke up here."

"It was no dream." Gandalf answered the question in his eyes. "Aragorn came to fetch you after Sauron was defeated. Gwaihir carried him. They got you and Sam out just in time. Barad- Dur collapsed completely just seconds after Gwaihir took to the sky."

"We are lucky then." Frodo said, more to himself than the wizard. He thought a little. He thought of the orcs, he thought of Sauron, he thought of Sam sleeping in the next room, about everything Gandalf told him... And then, suddenly, he realized something. "Gandalf?"

"Yes Frodo?" he was expecting this question, and was waiting for the hobbit to ask it "What do you wish to know?"

"You said that Strider came 'after Sauron was defeated'"

"Yes." The Istar confirmed.

"You said that Sauron was defeated!"

"Once again, your words are true. I have said so." A hint of a smile was showing on his face, unable to hide his amusement. "How?" the hobbit whispered "How! I thought the only way was to destroy the ring! You told me the only way was to destroy the ring! I did not destroy it! And I for one find it unbelievable that _he_ did it himself!"

"I doubt he would myself. However, the ring **was** sent to Mount. Doom, and the dark lord – to ruin." The wizard said calmly, reassuringly. "But how?" Frodo asked again, and Gandalf had no choice but to tell him the story of the battle before the black gates.

Throughout the tale, Frodo sat completely quiet, not interrupting a single time. At last, as the story ended, he asked in a soft voice: "How is he?"

"He recovers his strength. Gimli is with him." The slightly reluctant, somewhat worried tone in Gandalf's voice, did not escape Frodo's sharp hobbit- ears. Once again he asked, this time an involuntary tremble tingeing his voice: "How is he?"


	7. porcelain

**Disclaimer: No, sorry. I still don't own them. I went to the auction, but Tolkien's spirit out- bid me... :( Oh well, maybe next time...**

**A.N.: First of all - thanks for the reviews. I am sorry this took so long to update but I was sick and couldn't _stand_ the computer... Also, I am aware that this chapter is relatively short, but the next one is going to be Legolas waking up at last, so keep reading and reviewing - 'cause reviews are my life! (or at least the life of my stories... )**

.7.

The room was filled with sunlight. The smell of flowers and the twittering of birds were carried in the air. Frodo soon saw why, as he looked through the window. There, many birds stood singing and lying flowers on the seal. He remembered what Bilbo told him once, about the love the feathered creatures held for the Mirkwood elves, and felt a small smile beginning to form on his lips.

At last, he found the courage to look at the bed.

The chair pooled next to it, was currently occupied by a dwarf, looking quite oblivious to the hobbit in the room. His expression was somewhere between helplessness, dread, fury and pride, as he sat holding the hand of the figure lying in bed.

Frodo followed this hand, and his breath caught with both tears and awe when he saw the fair creature it belonged to. The elf appeared even more beautiful – although in a morbid way. He was a porcelain statue, so white and finely carved, and his eyes were unusually closed. His hair shown in the sun, looking more like shining gold now, that it contrasted with his pale skin. His breathing was far from being apparent, and Frodo had to concentrate hard to assure himself he _did_ breathe at all.

"Oh..." the little sound that came from Frodo, though no more than a gasp, was enough to bring Gimli back to reality and away from what reverie he was previously lost in. he looked up, seeing Frodo standing there for the first time, and his eyes widened, a flicker of joy passing in them after many days of worry. "Frodo! You are well lad! Why, that is cheering news!"

"Hello Gimli." The hobbit said, ever mindful of his friend still motionless on the bed. Then, realizing just how sad dispirited he sounded, he asked with a little more cheer, forcing a smile to his lips: "So, what did I miss?"


	8. the mushroom efect

**Disclaimer: Nothing is mine. Tolkien owns the world! Happy now...?**

**A.N.: I felt so bad for making Legolas sleep this long (not that he was complaining...), so I have deceided to give him a cheary wake- up call... enjoy! And, as usual, read & review!**

.8.

A week later found the two youngest hobbits joking in the elf- prince's room. Gandalf always told them that their pranks can awaken the dead in horror, and they decided to test the theory. After all, if they could wake the dead, sure they could do no less for someone who was just too close to it for comfort, right?

"And you fell rolling down the hill!" came Merry's laughter, soon followed by Pippin's indignant "Well, his dogs chased me! What would you have me do? It was either I trip or drop the mushrooms!" This time, Merry's laughter was accompanied by another, bell- like sound. Surprised, he stopped laughing and turned his head to the bed along with Pippin.

Legolas kept laughing as color slowly returned to his face. "Legolas!" was the hobbits' simultaneous shout of joy and relief. He slowly opened his eyes, smiling, and said "What?" as if he was not unconscious for more than a week.

"How long have you been awake?" Merry asked, while Pippin skedaddled to inform whoever he met that the elf was finally awake, and just as important – if not more so – joking.

"Just long enough to hear your cousin's peculiar priorities." came the amused answer. "Why peculiar?" the young hobbit asked, genuinely stunned.

Whatever the archer was about to reply was not to be said though, as the door banged open, and in entered a dwarf. "Just typical, elf!" he said, the bellow sounding suspiciously teary "waking up when I ain't here! Not to mention saying not a word on such a beautiful – and helpful – piece of jewelry! Who is the craftsman?"

A twinkle shone in his eye at the thought of it being a dwarf, and Legolas laughed again and sat up. "As loath as I am to disappoint you my friend, 'twas nature and elves." was the elf's only answer. "Meaning?" Just then, the rest of the fellowship entered as well, all looking just as relived as the dwarf did when first he entered the room.

"How are you doing?" Aragorn asked, sitting on the bed near his friend. "Quite well, to be honest." He sounded a little surprised at the realization. Then he added "I suppose you are all as curious as the dwarf though, aside for maybe Mithrandir."

"Even I do not know the complete story," said the Istar "but are you well enough to tell it?"

"I believe I am" he answered, and began his story.


	9. the necklace

**Disclaimer:I don't own any charactor of the fellowship or the historical summery- they are all Tolkiens. However, I am happy to say I _do_ own the charactors mentioned most here. Yea me! ;)**

**A.N.: Well, this is it. Thanks for the wonderful reviews, I hope you enjoy this last part. I'll try to have a new story written soon - but I'm a bit lazy, so soon is a flexable word... Anyways: enjoy!**

.9.

"In the very beginning of our days, on the shores of Quivienen, the first of the elves dwelt in peace. Everything was new, and therefore they were filled with the joy of discovery nearly every day. So it was, until the arrival of Melkor – known through the next ages as Morgoth.

"They knew not what happened. Suddenly they found themselves hunted, murdered and taken. Weapons to defend themselves they did not have, for none existed in ea yet. All they could do was hide. But they always thought of other ways, knowing they could not hide forever.

"My grandmother, the naneth of my naneth, was one of these first elves - from the ages of the stars, before the sundering of the quendi. She found this stone, as round and smooth as you see it now, inside the water of 'the river of awakening' and smiled, for an idea formed in her mind.

"Now, in these days the fire still burned fresh and young within the hearts of my people, and our power was grater than it is now. And my grandmother pressed this stone to her heart, and shared some of her soul's flame with it - and in her hands the gem became an amulet of protection.

"When the Teleri parted for the second time in the journey west, upon the shores of Beleriand, my grandmother was one of those who carried on to Aman. But her daughter, my mother, was of those who remained, waiting and looking for Elwe – those elves were later known as the sindar. Knowing she will not need it in the blessed realm, my grandmother gave this to her daughter – who later added the mithril in Doriath.

"Ages passed, and the necklace was not used since the days of my grandmother, and save my parents all appeared to have forgotten it. Doriath fell, once, twice, and it still remained unknown. Rings of power were forged, Eregion fell and Sauron was defeated – and all this time my mother carried the forgotten jewel.

"But times kept changing, and a new age was born. Shadows began to creep into Greenwood, darkness growing in the world once more. I still remember how green it was, how green it must be now that it is purified, but you will not believe Mirkwood and Greenwood to be the same forest if you saw them. I remember the coming of the shadow well, for when first darkness came to the southernmost edge of the woods, in the very first attack of the spiders, my naneth was hurt.

"So sudden it was, so unexpected, she had no time to use her mother's gift or even think to. It was too late when she was brought home, her wounds were fatal." His voice nearly broke as Legolas said these things but he continued, set on finishing the story. "Before her death, she gave it to me before we parted – as her mother did for her. I was no more than a child but she had no choice but giving it to me even if I could not yet use it. She could not give it to my father or any other. It would only work for someone of her mother's blood.

"So it came to me, and I never used it before now, in front of the black gates."

Silence lingered after his last word. How long this quiet lasted none of them was sure, but then the elf's voice broke it once more: "So," he said, turning to Aragorn with a grin "when do get you Elessar?"

Laughter rang as the king- to- be's face turned the most interesting shade of pink.

The End!


End file.
